Eaves trough



A. E. DEAN EAVES THOUGH June 14,1938.

Filed Dec. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 000 o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o o o o o o ono o liven/$07: All/2112i flea];

A. E. DEAN EAVES TROUGH June 14, 1938.

Filed Dec. 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 14, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in eaves troughs and is. more particularly concerned with eaves troughs of the kind wherein provision is made for preventing leaves. and like material which may be washed from the roof from entering and clogging the trough while at the same time permitting water to freely enter and drain therefrom.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide an eaves trough, the novel construction of which will very effectively prevent clogging by such materials as leaves, sticks and the like which might be washed from the roof, and which will freely receive water and permit the same to readily flow to and drain through the conductor spout.

It is another object of the invention to provide an eaves trough wherein material other than water, such as leaves or the like, will pass over the trough and onto the ground, and wherein such materials as may adhere to the trough may be readily blown therefrom by the air.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eaves trough which is capable of handling an abnormally large amount of water, such as may occur during severe rainstorms, and effectively capture and permit free flow of the same to the conductor spout.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an eaves trough having the foregoing, in addition to such other advantages as will hereinafter be apparent, which is simple in construction, durable in operation and inexpensive in manufacture.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles of the present invention has been selected for exemplification;

40 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dwelling roof having my novel eaves trough associated therewith,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the high end section of the trough, which is disposed re- 45 mote from the conductor spout,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a plan view of an inside corner section of the'eaves trough,

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of Figure 5,

Figure '7 is a plan View of an outside corner section, I

5 Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the low end section of the caves. trough connected with the conductor spout,

Figure 9 is a plan view of an intermediate section of the trough; and

Figure 10 is-a perspective view of the cap memat the g t-hand side of Figure 1 whereby Water 15 may flow therethrough by gravity to the conductor spout.

The end section illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, inclusive, which is designated generally by [I] is formed preferably of a single sheet of metal 20 and comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion 12 which forms a trough, a substantially vertical rear or inner wall l4 and a lip or flange [6 which extends laterally of the inner wall l4 by means of which the trough section may be 2 5" readily attached to a roof, eaves or the like, with nails or in any other desired manner. The body portion [2 merges into an integral, substantially flat and horizontal upper wall I8 which extends toward and terminates only a slight distance 36" short of the rear wall I4 thereby to form a relatively narrow longitudinal slot which runs the length of the section it and permits ready access of water into the trough I2 but at the'same time being of insufficient width to permit any material 35 ingress of leaves or such other material as may be Washed from the roof. The upper wall [8 is perforated, as at 263, throughout its length, and the perforations are preferably restricted so that they may function similarly to the longitu- 40 dinal slot l9 relative to permitting passage of water, but preventing passage of solid materials.

Section ID is preferably provided at its free end with an upstanding baffle 22 which extends across the free end, as well as a portion of the length of the section, whereby such water as would be washed over the free end of the section may be captured and directed into the openings into the trough.

The inside corner connection illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, and indicated generally at 24, is constructed somewhat in the manner of the remaining sections except that the upper wall 26 of the trough 28 is of greater width and preferably of substantially triangular configuration,

having a corner thereof disposed in alignment with the valley formed by the intersecting roof sections. The trough 28 is in horizontal section of a configuration similar to the upper wall 26. 5 The upper wall 26, which is substantially horizontally disposed, is substantially flat and terminates a short distance from the rear wall 30 to provide a relatively narrow slot 32 which is continuous along the entire section 24. Further openings into the trough are provided by perforations 21 in the wall26. Integral with the rear wall 30 a lip or flange 34 may be provided to facilitate fastening of the trough to the roofs Inasmuch as the flow of water in roof valleys and directed into inside corner sections of the eaves trough is ordinarily greater thaninto the straight sections or outside corners of the eaves trough, it is desirable to extend the width of the trough 28 and its upper wall 28 in the manner illustrated. To further provide for this increased flow of water a bafile 36 may be provided along,

the outer end of the upper ,w a 1l 25,,where it merges into the cylindrical body portion forming the trough 28 for the purpose of. directing such water as might flow past the trough and ontothegrouncl in the direction of the trough openings-and into the trough whereby it may be properly drained tothe conductor spout. In the preferred construction theupper edge-of bafile 3,0 3 6 is. shaped somewhat reversely of the roof sections forming the valley whereby the highest portions of the bafile are disposed oppqsiteto the lowestportions of the roof valley for the purpose of more effectively capturing. the flow of 3;, water from the roof valley onto the eaves trough. Theoutside corner eaves trough sections, illustrated in Figure 7 and designated generally at 38, are formed similarly to the sections H] exceptthatthe adjacent end portions. thereof are 4,4}, out diagonally whereby the sections may be more readily joined. Like the end and intermediate sections, the outside corner sections38. are provided with substantially cylindrical body portions formingtroughs I2, Vertical rear walls I 4, ag laterally extending flanges or lips 16, substantially fiat upper walls [8, which upper walls are provided with perforations 28 and terminate short of the, rear wall l4 to provide relatively narrow slots 19, which preferablyextend con-. tinuously along the entire outer section.

' The section illustrated in Figure 8, and designated generally at 48, may be constructed similarly to sections I8 and 38 except that a conduetor spout 42 is connected to the bottom of the 55 trough adjacent the free end of thetrough. The

"" troughs of the end sections l0 and arepreferably,sealed as by the cap illustrated in Figure 10 and indicated generally at 44. V The cap.

may be connected to the trough in anyssuitable manner and in the construction illustrated is provided with a circumferential flange 4.6 which may be inserted within the trough and secured thereto by passing screws or the. like through apertures 48.

A straight intermediate section of the eaves trough illustratedin Figure 9, and indicated gene era lly at 58, is formed similarly to the sections t 3,8 and 40 above described. Obviously as many of the intermediate sections 5 0, n ay be provided as found desirable.

The adjacent ends ofthe various-sections hereinillustratedand above described which are adaptedto be joined together. arepreferably so arranged that they may be telescoped and, of course, further secured ,by soldering or the like if desired. The length of the various sections is not necessarily critical but I have discovered that best results are obtained for ordinary purposes if no section exceeds approximately 10 feet in length. The longitudinal slots l9 and 32 are, however, critical and it is important that these slots be not-more than approximately th inch and preferably not more than th inch in width as I have found that an opening of this width most effectively prevents entrance of normal debris, suchas might cause clogging, into the trough and at the same time permits free flow of water into the trough. It is important too that the diameters of the apertures 28 and 21 do ,ngt naterially exceed the width of the slots in order to effect most favorable results.

-Another important feature of the present invention residesin. the provision of a substantially flat and horizontal upper wall for the trough, as indicatedat I8 and 26. A concave upper wall would become readily .filled.up with leavesand the like anda convex upper wall would permit a flow of water thereover so rapid as to prevent material ingress of water to the trough through the apertures. A substantially fiat wall, on the other hand, if it does become covered with leaves will, unlike a convex surface, support the leaves in such a manner that only a slight wind will readily blow them away. While a substantially fiat surface will more readily retard a flow. of

water thereover than will an outwardly curved surface, an exceptionally heavy flow of Water, .as during severe rainstorrns, mayflow in an excess quantity even over the substantially flatwall of applicants invention and for this purpose the baflie arrangement herein illustrated anddescribed is preferably provided.

It is understood that the principles of the present invention are not limited to the specific embodiments herein illustrated and described, but are limited only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim'is:

-1. An eaves trough comprising a body portion having a rear wall, an upper substantially flat and-horizontalwall integral with said body portion, said upper wall extending toward but-terminating slightly short of. the rear wall to provide, a relatively narrow slot extending longitudinally of the trough and opening into the trough, said upper wallbeing perforated to provide further openings ,into thetrough, all of said openings being adapteclto permit ingress of water while substantially preventing ingress of leaves and the like into the trough.

2 in eaves ,trough section adapted to be. connected with other sections to form an eaves rou h $315 55,9 303 o n a body portion having a rear Wall, an upper substantially flat and horizontal-wallintegral with said body portion,.-said.upper wallextending toward but terminating slightly short of the rear Wall to provide a relatively narrow slotextending longitudinally of, the trough and opening into the trough, said upper wall beingperforated to providefurther openingsinto the trough, all of said openi gs.bein g adapted to permit ingress of water while substantially preventing ingress of leaves and the like intothe trough.

3. anleavestrough comprising a body portion having a rear wall, an U per substantially fiat and hgriaontalwallintegral with said body portion, saidupper wall extending toward but terminating slightly short of the rear wall to provide a., relatively narrow slotextending longitudinally of the trough and opening into the trough, said upper wall being perforated to provide further openings into the trough, all of said openings being adapted to permit ingress of water while substantially preventing ingress of leaves and the like into the trough, and upstanding bafiies carried by the trough whereby to direct water into the area of said slot and said perforations.

4. An inside corner section for an eaves trough, said corner section comprising a body portion forming a trough and having a rear wall, a substantially flat and horizontal upper wall integral trough, whereby to direct water into the area of 10 said slot in said perforations.

ALVIN E. DEAN. 

